This invention relates to earth-working vehicles such as bulldozers, and more specifically, to a blade stabilizing linkage therefor.
The presence of side forces on blades of earth-working vehicles, such as bulldozers, when in operation, and the resultant bending moments imposed on the lift linkage have long been recognized. Typically, a stabilizing linkage is utilized to interconnect the frame of the vehicle and the blade to transfer the sideways directed forces from the lift linkage to the vehicle frame and to limit side sway of the lift linkage which, if permitted to become too great, would result in the lift linkage contacting the bulldozer tracks and being damaged thereby.
The various forms of such stabilizing linkages heretofore known are such that when the blade is elevated with respect to the vehicle frame, it will move in an arcuate path with respect to the side of the vehicle with the consequence that there still must be provision for adequate spacing between the lift linkage and the vehicle tracks and a certain amount of bending moment will be present in the lift linkage requiring the same to be of extremely sturdy and, therefore, expensive, construction.